We’re big fans of Paula Deen here at The Taste Place, but her recipes are usually way too fattening for us to make on a regular basis. I knew that her sons had started their own website, touting many of their recipes as lighter versions of their mom’s classics. But, “lighter” doesn’t necessarily mean “light”. When I came across this particular recipe a couple weeks ago, I calculated out the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value, and was surprised to discover that it is indeed “light” — and totally Weight Watchers friendly.
I made this soup last week for Hubby and the kids on a weeknight after work. It was super quick to prepare. And it was super delicious. A big big hit with the entire family, who rated it “a keeper”. No one felt cheated out of Paula’s more fattening original version.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14½-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)
